


From the Wise, Wisdom

by gg113



Series: The Brothers [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: But he's trying, Hashirama and Tobirama are morally ambiguous in my opinion, Just on my mind, Madara is not mentally well, Madara needs a hug, Mito and Madara have a good heart to heart, Multi, One Shot, Relationship Discussions, Therapy, but they don't even show up, sad with hopeful ending, talk of patricide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-29
Updated: 2019-09-29
Packaged: 2020-11-01 06:27:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20810573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gg113/pseuds/gg113
Summary: Mito visits Madara, and gives him some much-needed advice.





	From the Wise, Wisdom

Madara wearily opened the door to Mito, she hadn’t even knocked yet, just now stepping on his porch, but he had sensed her as soon as she had stepped onto the compound. He didn’t panic easily, but recent developments between him and Hashirama’s relationship had him on edge, not _scared _per se, after Izuna’s death, nothing scared him anymore, but a healthy dose of nervousness for the Uzumaki-Hime. A woman scorned is worrying enough, one with countless seals at her disposal that almost no one can counter is terrifying. He bites back a shudder. He loves Hashirama, and he won’t give him up, he _can’t_. 

Breathing deeply, Madara invites her in, and serves drinks, surprised when she requests sake. 

As they settle in the front room, he finally cracks, “Uzumaki-Hime, can I ask why you’ve visited me today? It’s rather unusual,” he asks diplomatically.

She takes a sip from her cup, “ Mito-san is fine, and I am here as a courtesy, due to recent _developments_,” she quirks an eyebrow at his choking, “Relax, Madara-san, it’s something I’ve seen coming for a long time besides, Hashirama and I’s marriage is strictly political, but there is something I need to warn you about,” she says. 

Madara recovers enough to stare at her incredulously, he keeps his chakra ready in case of a surprise attack, “Would that warning be from you, Mito-san?”

She laughs. A shiver runs down his spine.

“No, I’m afraid not, perhaps it would be – in a way – kinder if it was, but no, it’s about someone else,” she says. 

Madara tenses more, there is only one other person who would have an actual issue with him having a relationship with Hashirama. After all, he’s all but kicked out his clan, and anyone else would only care about it for the scandal, but the one person who would actively _hate_ him for it is – “Tobirama,” he growls. 

Mito hesitates, “Not quite,” she corrects, “It’s Tobirama _and_ Hashirama.”

Madara blinks at her, baffled. She takes another sip, before explaining.

“I know you love him, but there is something you need to understand about Hashirama. He does not see people as, well, people. He sees them as pieces, each one with their designated role. First there’s you, a ‘gift from the divine’” she snorts, “he has you on a pedestal so high he ignores your troubles even though there are clear warning signs,” she waved away Madara’s indignant denial, “then there’s me, a princess, a wife, someone whose children will please the elders but other than that? Irrelevant in his grand scheme except as a show of power. Now, I could go on, but you get the picture.” She waits for him to process everything, before continuing. She meets his spinning red eyes; he can deny all he wants but he _ will_ hear the truth.

“Now, there _is_ one person he does see as an individual, someone whose feelings matter, someone he has never put him on a pedestal or thought the worst of, someone he cares enough about to realize he does both good and bad things.” Tobirama’s name goes unspoken between them, a silent knife that cuts into Madara. 

He gathers himself, “Even if that’s true, why are you telling me this? What does that matter? That demon is his brother _we_ are his lovers, why should I care how Hashirama sees his brother? As you said, he sees _me_ a gift from the Gods,” he defends, arm crossed.

Mito stares at the man in front of her, and pity wells in her stomach. _ He still doesn’t understand_. He has lost his last brother, his clan, though indirectly through his own actions, and the one string of hope, of sanity, he clings to desperately, is a man who does not see him as a true person, with their own thoughts and feelings. 

Oh, Hashirama loves him, that was never in doubt, but he is not in love with _ him_. Hashirama loves a boy by the river who shared his dream of peace for all, his grand plan for everyone, whether they liked it or not. Madara is a complex man in pain that Hashirama ignores and exacerbates in favor of pretending Madara is still that same simple boy who sees everything the way he sees.

“Madara-san, did you know Tobirama had a lover?”

Madara’s eyes widen, as far as anyone in the village knew the demon had never been interested in _anybody_. 

“Yes, a Hatake woman, they even had a child, even if they never married, neither cared about that. 

One day, about a year after I arrived, I watched Hashirama send her back to her clan, child and all, because she asked him to ease up on Tobirama’s workload and missions so they could spend more time together. He was furious.

She overstepped her bounds he had said, and he couldn’t stand it. Of someone telling him what to do related to his brother, and I had never seen him so wrathful before or since. Tobirama wasn’t even upset with Hashirama when he found out. Truly, I don't mean he buried some deep hurt, no, Hahsirama told him, and he accepted it like it was nothing, I remember his chakra didn't even flicker.

I was also warned by Touka-san, Hashirama apparently had a lover a few years ago that lasted for almost two years, only for it to end when Tobirama demanded it to, though no one knows why, he wasn’t a spy or power-hungry as he still resides high within the clan, but all it took was one request from Tobirama to put an end to it. She then told me to always stay on his good side, I agreed, of course.”

Madara’s back is locked straight, staring into her dark eyes, “Again, what is your point?”

Mito gives him a small, charming smile, “My point is, no matter how distant or quarrelsome they act toward each other, do not, under any circumstances assume your opinion means more than Tobirama’s related to Hashirama, because that is what it is, an act. They build up each other’s reputation as a ditz and a demon, but at the end of the day, they are partners, not romantically, as far as I know, but partners nonetheless, and do not presume you can get between that, because it will be the last thing you do,” she warns him fervently. “Have you ever wondered how they got so many clans to so quickly agree to a village? With talks lasting less than a month. That is because from the time they were boys they had one goal, to overthrow the status quo of an entire continent and since they were boys, they have worked together constantly to set things into motion to make that happen. 

Tobirama showed me missions once, you know, from when they were children that he convinced his father to send Hashirama on that would later benefit his reputation as a clan leader while maximizing visibility of his strength, and his father had no idea and agreed because Tobirama was the smart, sensible one he trusted more than his heir, but even then they were thinking 20 years ahead,” she shakes her head bemusedly, “I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if they were the ones to kill him,” she giggles at Madara’s scandalized expression, “did you ever find it funny that less than a week after your father died, theirs followed? Surely that struck you as odd?” 

It had never even crossed his mind.

“You see, everything seen in public is for a reason, do know why Tobirama berates his brother carelessly in front of village leaders?”

Madara lets out a shaky exhale, “Because Hashirama is an idiot?” They both know it’s a weak lie.

Mito lets out a choked laugh, “Not quite, no,” she muses, “it is because, if anyone ever felt discontented with Hashirama’s rule, Tobirama appears far enough away from favor, that they think they can convince him to act against his brother if it will benefit him enough, not knowing how truly aligned they are. 

Anyway, my point, Madara-san, is do not let yourself fall so much that you give him your all, because you will not receive the same, not in love or loyalty. If you go against his dream or the one person he _is_ truly loyal to, you will be broken, and I do that wish that for you. 

She sets her cup back down, “Now I do believe its time for me to head home, goodbye, Madara-san,” with that, she’s gone.

Madara sits, digesting her words of warning, waiting for his ears to stop ringing. He doesn’t know what to do, because she is right. If Mito had not seen him today, there is little doubt in his mind he would have blindly given all his love, like only an Uchiha could, to Hashirama and felt absolutely betrayed when he realized he was playing second fiddle, not to his wife which he expected, but to his brother that he had assumed, like everyone else, he wasn’t even close to. 

He would have been blindsided. He _was_ blindsided, but he couldn’t help but be grateful to Mito. Had he found out later, after he and Hashirama’s relationship progressed, he doesn’t know what he would have done.

If had found out Hashirama was so protective of Tobirama and his judgment he dropped his lover of multiple years, that he _sent away Tobirama’s child and their mother_. It would- _it does_ terrify him. 

Slipping his hands into his pockets to stop their shaking, he feels something brush his hand. Pulling out a piece of paper, he reads it with tired eyes.

_Dear Madara-san_

_Please visit Dr. Akimichi. She specializes in grief and the traumas of war; I think she would be of help._

_Best,  
Mito-san_

Madara gently placed the letter on the table. He would go tomorrow.

After all, he had nothing left to lose.

The ringing silences.


End file.
